Port People: Panama, Plaquemines, San Francisco

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Panamanian President Juan Carols Varela announced July 4 his appointment of Jorge Barakat Pitty to succeed Roberto Linares as chief administrator of Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP). John L. Pennison, deputy port director of the Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District, has been named president of the Lower Mississippi River Port-wide Strategic Security Council. Eunejune Kim is the newly-appointed chief harbor engineer for the Port of San Francisco.

Panama: Jorge Barakat Named Administrator of the National Maritime Authority

Panamanian President Juan Carols Varela announced July 4 his appointment of Jorge Barakat Pitty to succeed Roberto Linares as chief administrator of Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP). Additionally, Alejandro Moreno will become the agency’s deputy administrator.

The AMP is an autonomous Panamanian government agency with overarching responsibility for all aspects of the country’s maritime industry except the Panama Canal, which is separately administered by the Panama Canal Authority. That includes, among other things, oversight of the Panamanian ship registry, Panama’s coastal and inland waters, compliance with international maritime treaties and conventions, and planning, development and operation of the national port system.

Jorge Barakat, who holds a law degree from the University of Panama, as well as a master’s in business, mediation and arbitration, served as the AMP’s deputy administrator (2009-2011), commissioner for maritime code reforms at the Panamanian Association of Maritime Law (2006-2008) and a professor at BOTH Universidad Marítima Internacional de Panamá and Universidad del Istmo (1999-2003). He is a founding partner of the Barakat-Pitty & Asociados law firm and a member of both the Panamanian Maritime Law Association and the Maritime Law Committee of the national bar association, Colegio Nacional de Abogados.

Plaquemines Port Deputy Director Pennison Named Regional Security Council President

John L. Pennison, deputy port director and 10-year employee of the Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District, has been named President of the Lower Mississippi River Port-wide Strategic Security Council (PSSC).

The PSSC is an Area Maritime Security Council established under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 and provides an industry/government framework for working with the U.S. Coast Guard on port security issues.

The PSSC was established in 2002 by the five lower Mississippi River deep-water ports in 2002 to provide cohesive security along the 300-mile stretch of waterway. Together, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, New Orleans, South Louisiana and Greater Baton Rouge comprise the world’s busiest port complex, with cargo throughput in 2012 of nearly 450 million short tons.

Coverage area extends up to 2 miles on either side of the river and encompasses more than Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA)-regulated facilities. Ports use both local and federal resources to pay for security improvements and equipment and part of the role of the PSSC is to insure that ports are aware of grant funds and their intended use, as well as application requirements and procedures.

"It’s an honor to have been selected to lead the Security Council," said Mr. Pennison. "I have seen many enhancements to port security throughout the five- port complex, and we will continue to strive to make our ports safe for our employees, shippers and constituents who reside in close proximity to port facilities," he added.

John L. Pennison
Photo/ Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District

San Francisco Names Kim Chief Harbor Engineer

Eunejune Kim is the newly-appointed chief harbor engineer for the Port of San Francisco. In that capacity, Mr. Kim oversees the port’s engineering division provides project and construction management, engineering design, facility inspection, contracting, code compliance review and permitting services for the port's 20 million square feet of property, including the seawall, 39 piers, 80 marginal wharves, numerous structures, buildings, cranes, utilities, public and private areas, development projects, streets and walkways.

Mr. Kim has been a civil engineer for more than 20 years, most recently as chief engineer for the City of San Bruno (CA), where he developed infrastructure master plans and managed an extensive capital improvement program for public buildings, water, wastewater and stormwater systems, roadways and pedestrian access ways.

Mr. Kim’s degrees in civil engineering include a bachelor’s from the University of California at Davis and a master's from San Jose State University. He is registered in California as a civil engineer, traffic engineer, and land surveyor, He is president of Peninsula Area Contractors and Engineers, a non-profit, professional organization that promotes professional collaboration between contractors and engineers and raises funding for local engineering student scholarships.

"As a 150-year old enterprise, one of the most critical roles at the port is managing and maintaining the infrastructure of our historic piers and facilities along the 7.5 miles of San Francisco shoreline to benefit current and future generations," said Port Executive Director Monique Moyer. "To meet this challenge, we are fortunate to have Eunejune Kim join our executive team, bringing his impressive hands on experience and history of public service with several Bay Area municipalities to this essential role for the port."

Eunejune Kim
Photo/Port of San Francisco